WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Seventy-Eight

Julia McCulloch heard the front storm door creak as she tied her apron in the kitchen. "Do you need help, Sam?" she said, looking through the living room toward the front foyer.

"I've got it," Sam answered as he instead came through the backdoor carrying an armful of logs, startling her. They had both heard the creak of the front storm door hinge, but now the doorbell rang, causing Julia to turn around again.

"You better answer that, Julia," Sam said.

"Who'd be here at this early hour?" Julia wondered as she wiped her hands on her apron and headed toward the foyer.

"Better find out," Sam answered as he placed the logs in a brass hopper by the fieldstone fireplace. He watched Julia peer through the lace curtain panel in the front window and turn back to Sam, giving him a curious look. A white delivery van was in the driveway.

She opened the front door to see a young man standing on the porch with an arrangement of autumn flowers. He was in a red jacket and a New York Giants cap. Next to him on the porch were a box with seven chrysanthemum corsages in plastic containers and a dozen long-stemmed mixed roses in a glass vase. "What is all this?"

"Mrs. McCulloch?" the young man asked.

"Yes. I have been her for almost forty years."

"Do you remember me? I'm Nicholas Militano. You were my third-grade teacher. My father has the butcher shop."

"Of course, Nicholas. You've gotten so big. I hardly recognized you."

"I'm helping out the Benedettos with deliveries."

Sam came up behind Julia. "Congratulations, Nicholas, on being named Homecoming King," Sam said, turning to Julia. "Nicholas will be on the high school float for the Christmas parade."

"My dad already said to make sure I wave to you both."

"We'll be there," said Julia. "And we'll wave back."

"This is for you. Happy Thanksgiving," Nicholas said, showing her the autumn arrangement in his hands.

"Well, who are all these from?" Julia asked.

"You'll have to read the cards," Sam said, taking the autumn arrangement from Nicholas.

"Well, those can go directly on the table," Julia said, as Sam placed the arrangement on the coffee table in the den and returned to the front door. Nicholas then handed Julia the box with the corsages. "And of course, the corsages."

"Mrs. Benedetto was telling me that you order them every year. That it's part of your tradition."

"Along with singing a hymn and making a toast," Julia replied. Nicholas looked at her a little bewildered, "I'm sure your family has traditions too," she said.

"We have a family touch football game in the morning and then watch football on TV later. Also, my mother asks everyone at the table what they've been thankful for during the past year, so we all share that."

"That's wonderful, Nicholas. What are you thankful for this year?"

"I'm going to college. I don't know where yet, but I'm going to college. I'm the first one in my family. My father says that is why he works so hard, so he can pay for it. I want to be a physical therapist."

"Congratulations, Nicholas," Julia said.

"Actually, Mrs. McCulloch, you were part of why I want to do that. You had a model of this man in clear plastic in your classroom where you could see the body parts and could pull it apart and take out the lungs and stomach and heart. I think it was called the invisible man. I used to take it apart and it made me interested in how the body works. I became conscious of it too when I played sports since it helped me to avoid injuries. So, thank you, Mrs. McCulloch."

Julia was visibly touched by his comment, "No, thank you, Nicholas."

Nicholas didn't know how to respond to Julia so he handed her the vase with the dozen roses of various colors. "Roses!" Julia exclaimed. "And it's not even my birthday."

Julia reached for a card wedged among the roses. At first, she thought they might be from Scott, but when she saw Sam's smile, she knew immediately who had sent them.

"I need to be going, Mrs. McCulloch," Nicholas said, "I have way more deliveries to take care of." Nicholas started backing away from the front door when Sam handed him a twenty-dollar bill. "Thank you, Mr. McCulloch," he said, grateful for the tip and its amount.

"Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Nicholas," said Sam. "No injuries tomorrow."

"No, sir. I'll see you Sunday for the parade. And I'll make sure everyone on the float waves."

"And you might give your mother and father some help decorating the float," said Sam.

"I will sure do that," he replied, bounding down the porch stairs toward the delivery van.

The front storm door creaked as it closed behind Sam and Julia. Julia didn't have to say anything to Sam about the creak. "I know. I know," he said to himself.

"But I know where I should I put these beautiful roses. Right in the living room where everyone can see them," she said, turning to Sam as he closed the front door.

They kissed and she walked through the living room to place the roses in the middle of her desk. "That will keep them out of harm's way from curious little fingers. I don't think I'm doing any more place cards for this year."

She then peered at the card placed in the roses. She read what Sam had written, "Thanks for giving me the rainbow. All my love, Sam."